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Norwalk ADA committee approves reallocating funds to finish City Hall curb ramps and renovate concert hall restrooms
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Summary
In a special meeting, the Norwalk City ADA Transition Committee unanimously approved reallocating $188,746 from existing ADA capital-line items to complete the City Hall curb ramp base bid and fund the Norwalk Concert Hall restroom renovation, leaving roughly $111,000 for smaller counter upgrades.
The Norwalk City ADA Transition Committee voted unanimously to reallocate portions of its ADA capital budget so the City Hall curb ramp base bid and the Norwalk Concert Hall restroom renovation can move forward this construction season.
The committee’s chair, speaking as project manager, said the low base bid for the City Hall curb ramp project totaled $111,480 and that Department of Public Works (DPW) requires a 20 percent contingency. "With the contingency, the total cost of that project [is] $133,776," the chair said. For the concert hall restroom renovation the low bid was $397,700; adding a 10 percent contingency brings that project total to $437,470, the chair said, and the committee had $282,500 remaining against an original $300,000 allocation after prior architectural costs.
Why it matters: the two projects had been on the committee’s agenda for multiple budget cycles and architects and staff stressed that postponing the restroom work risks losing the existing funding and pushing the work into a season of higher construction costs. Council member Jan Degenstein, who had reviewed the public works committee feedback, said public works and council members were "disappointed to find out the bids came in so high" and warned that rebidding specific items could push prices up and cause the project to miss the summer construction window.
After discussing options, the chair explained staff had confirmed with Tom Ellis (management and budgets) and Sharon Connors (city purchasing) that, because the dollars involved are all held in the ADA capital budget and are being reallocated among related ADA projects, the project manager may reassign funds if the accounting is transparent. The chair proposed reallocating $33,776 to cover the curb ramp shortfall and shifting $154,970 from previously planned service-counter upgrades to cover the restroom renovation, a total reallocation of $188,746.
Daisy Franklin moved to approve the suggested reallocations; Jan Degenstein seconded. The chair called for the vote and declared it unanimous, instructing DPW and property management to proceed with presenting the base bid to the public works committee and to schedule the concert hall work for the summer. One committee member asked what would happen if public works rejected the base bid; members replied that, because DPW is not funding the projects directly and the funds remain available in the ADA budget, staff would return with options but that rebidding could increase costs and delay work.
The chair also reviewed how the reallocations affect other priorities: the service-counter upgrades originally budgeted at $300,000 will be reduced so smaller counter projects—such as the tax assessor’s office and limited town-clerk or community-services counters—can proceed now, while larger work (for example, a Tax Collector reconstruction) is deferred to a future budget cycle.
The committee set an implementation timetable contingent on contractor scheduling and seasonal constraints: staff said both jobs are targeted to start in June with an aim to finish the concert hall restrooms by September so the venue is available for the school-year schedule. The chair warned that unexpected issues can arise but that property management believes the work can be staged to allow limited concert-hall use if necessary.
The committee adjourned following the vote and scheduled its next regular meeting for June 3.
